Security concerns have been raised about the new Windows 11 app store.

Concerns are being raised about the apparent limits of the new-look Microsoft Store, which was introduced last month with the introduction of Windows 11.

Microsoft highlighted the fact that its new store would be available to a far wider variety of third-party programs developed on a broader range of frameworks, including Win32,.Net, UWP, Java, and others, at the event.

However, the store's terms and conditions disclose that the updating procedure varies somewhat based on the type of program. Users using applications "packaged as a Win32 app" will not receive updates directly from the Microsoft Store but will be responsible for manually installing patches via the application itself.

Aside from the uneven user experience, critics have speculated that this quirk would allow updates to bypass Microsoft's checks and balances, which are meant to guarantee that only legitimate apps are delivered through the store. Previously, Microsoft stated that all programs hosted on the store would be "checked for security, family safety, and device compatibility."

Windows 11's Microsoft Store

When Microsoft announced that it would be delivering a much-needed makeover to its official app marketplace, the visual overhaul, which would bring the store in line with the Windows 11 design, received the most attention.

The addition of Android applications to the Microsoft Store made news as well. Users will launch Android apps straight from their PC in Windows 11, but only those hosted on Amazon's app store.

However, it appears that more emphasis is now being placed on the inner workings of the marketplace and how this may influence the ultimate consumer.

On Twitter, Microsoft engineer Scott Hanselman termed criticism of the app store's upgrade procedure "misleading." "Apps can utilize MSIX to update. It is stated on each app page if the app updates itself or whether the store updates it. "It's quite clear," he said.

He's referring to the fact that Win32 programs may be packaged as MSIX (a Windows app package format) to receive automatic upgrades via the Microsoft Store. MSIX is an evolution of MSI, an older package format that is incompatible with auto-updates.

However, as another Twitter user points out, MSIX is only utilized by a small number of programs right now. Meanwhile, The Register noted that asking consumers to grasp the difference between MSIX and MSI is unrealistic.